FACT mix 653: SHALT

The Astral Plane’s SHALT drops an urgent blend of grimy club rhythms and unusual textures.

British producer SHALT, aka Jack Taylor, has been a mainstay of the experimental club scene for a few years now, racking up an acclaimed series of releases on Los Angeles-based club imprint Astral Plane Recordings.

Blending the textural complexity of Tim Hecker (Virgins is one of Taylor’s “favorite records”) with the tweaky rhythmic backbone of M.E.S.H., DEBIT or Air Max ’97, Taylor’s tracks have appeared on a plethora of blends, haunting the gloomier end of the club zone.

This summer, Taylor will release his most substantial record to date: a mini-album entitled Seraphim that “delves into the contradictions inherent in technological development, ruminating over the capitalist myth of scarcity, coming (and present) ecological disaster, and the contemporary path of medical research.”

Taylor’s FACT mix is understandably gloomy – it kicks off with a cheeky club edit of Goblin’s unparalleled Suspiria theme, before rattling through pitch-black ambience, furious, percussive club music and a slew of ambitious, unpredictable edits. Don’t despair though, beneath the death rattle of kick drums and fuzzy mess of crackle, there’s almost a flicker of optimism.